The String that Binds Us
by Orpheus-Firefly
Summary: They made a promise twenty years ago. A promise that one wouldn't leave the other, no matter what, and the string binding them would never break. As years flew by, the string grew more taut, and the man in green feared the day it would snap. - After a particularly dangerous adventure, Luigi fears the loss of his brother. Desperate, he turns to drastic measures to keep him close.
1. A Memory

**Hi, Orpheus-Firefly here.**

 **You won't be seeing many of these notes, but considering this is the first chapter of my first fanfiction, I felt it was appropriate! This story will contain more mature themes (eg. psychological/physical abusive themes) as it progresses (hence the rating), so please keep this in mind when reading. I'm always looking to improve my writing, so please feel free to leave feedback!**

 _Intro : A Memory._

The trees reached towards the heavens like colonnades, branches housing numerous birds which all sung flowing, yet coordinated symphonies in harmony as a gentle breeze rustled emerald leaves. Morning dew settled on the forest floor, sheathing the blades of grass with cold water and coating the leaf litter with a blanket of moisture. Brilliant red toadstools with textured patterns poked out from between clumps of plantains and clover, their stalks swaying gently in the slow breeze as they glistened softly in the light.

Two boys hurried to the forest clearing, laughing and cheering, their bright carmine and chartreuse clothing contrasting the subtle earthy tones of the forest, almost bringing another new light to the clearing. These two boys played in this clearing often, embracing the wonders of nature in their play. Tree trunks that had fallen as a result of previous storms would become treacherous tunnels with danger at every turn, sticks would become swords that could be used to vanquish the 'evil faces' that appeared on the surface of tree bark and ivy and other such foliage would become chain-mail, able to withstand the most ferocious of attacks.

However, this time was different. The boy in red, eyes bright and shining, tugged the boy in green hurriedly, pointing out to deeper in the forest. For the boy in red, this was a new, exciting form of play - adventuring. It was fun to play with the dead tree trunks...but for the boy in red, this play option was only the beginning of their 'grand adventure', and he grew bored of it quickly. Desperately, he pulled on his sibling's sleeve, pleading for him to join his "quest".

The boy in green, unsure and apprehensive, questioned his brother. The deeper forest was unchartered territory for the boys, and the green clad boy didn't want to get lost – especially how his mother had told him that lost children would roam the forest forever.

He didn't quite fancy that.

The boy in red laughed and giggled at his brother's concerns, before smirking dryly and making chicken gestures at his twin. Sticking out his tongue, he turned heel and hurried off further into the forest, not caring how fresh mud clung to his skin as he ran.

Panicking, the stunned younger brother stumbled after his twin, deeper into the heart of the forest, as bird songs began to quieten.

The foliage became denser with every step the green clad boy took.

Vines and leaves twisted and contorted, creating nightmarish shapes that reminded the younger brother of the illustrations from the scary stories his twin read all the time before bed, the faces that would frighten the boy every time he glanced at his sibling's book. This time, the faces were real, and they were **glaring at him.** The boy reckoned that if the trees could talk, they would scold him, shouting;

" _Go back...you don't belong here...!"_

Branches began to reach out like outstretched hands from leafless, skinny tree trunks, snagging the frightened boy's clothes. Terror stricken, the boy cried out and clambered away from the offending branches, breathing quickly and heavily, eyes wide.

 _Were the trees alive?_

 _Would they pick him up and trap him within their leaves forever, and no one would ever find him?_

 _Would he end up like the scary stories in his brother's book?_

Not wanting to tempt fate, the boy rushed forwards hurriedly, out of the vice-like grip of the branches. Once he had assured himself that he wouldn't be caught by the crooked trees, the boy cried out in vain for his twin, as the light rapidly began to dim.

Upon receiving no answer, the green clad boy sunk to his muddied knees, tears creeping in at the corners of his eyes and threatening to pool over and run down dirt-crusted cheeks. The wind began to pick up, causing the boy to huddle up on himself, shivering. The boy glanced around, eyes dull in the light, fearful and alone.

A small flash of red near the ground from deeper in the forest caught the boy's eye as his breath hitched. Hopes raised, he rushed to his feet, peering towards the opening from whence the red came, before running towards it, crying his brother's name as if it were a final lifeline. The boy spotted the flash of red again, running further away from him. The boy, annoyed, yet frightened, took chase, running as fast as he could, prying branches and leafage away from him as he ran. Eventually, the boy caught up to the red flash, panting and face flushed. He raised his eyes to meet the startled gaze of a red squirrel, grasping a nut in its paws, before it darted away and up an old oak tree, tail brushing softly against the coarse bark.

Standing in silence, the boy fought back another bout of tears, sliding down the bark trunk of the oak tree. The bark caught a few threads on the boy's favourite green jumper; however, he was far too upset to notice such trivial things. Sniffling into sullied hands, the child hunched over, with only the fleeting chirps of birds preparing to rest for the night accompanying him as the light faltered, and the air chilled.

 _Would this be the end for the green child?_

 _What would Mama say?  
Mama..._

The child sniffled.

 **Crack.**

A twig snapped, and the boy's eyes widened as he raised his head. Fearful, he whimpered and hid behind the sturdy oak trunk, clinging to it.

 **Rustle.**

Leaves were crushed underneath a creature's weight. The boy sat with hitched breath, pressed against the trunk, as if he were prey hiding from a giant grizzly bear that would most certainly gobble him up for tea like in the books his mama would read to him about naughty children who ventured too far into the forest-

The boy in green shuddered. He wouldn't continue that thought. Instead, he closed his eyes, imagining and thinking good thoughts.

Where was his brother right now?

Would he be standing in the forest with a worried expression, his favourite collared t-shirt and knee-length shorts a bit torn and muddied?

Would he be looking for him, or would he be going home, presuming that the boy in green had just wimped out?

He could imagine fratello right now, running happily through the forest, the small, light blue necktie that rested on his neck waving in the air.

 _ **That necktie...**_

That necktie was a present from their papa. The boy in green had one too, but he had never liked the feeling of clothing circling around his neck; he felt scared and trapped when he had things around his neck, as if they would suddenly tighten and constrict like a serpent, and he wouldn't be able to breathe. Scarves, collared shirts and unfortunately, neckties, were all out of the question for the child. However, his brother had fallen in love with the piece of fabric, and constantly bragged about it to his friends.

" _I'm a real adventurer! Like in the movies!"_

Ah.

Adventuring, the thing that had gotten the child in green in this mess in the first place. If he were to name any weakness his brother had, he would say his love for adventure and exploring; the boy would just run off without telling anyone and get himself into all kinds of trouble. Mama would often discourage the behaviour and scold him, but papa actively encouraged it...the boy in green never quite understood why.

After all, adventuring lead to _scary, dangerous things_ and it would be much easier to just sit at home with a hot chocolate and marshmallows.

The child didn't see the appeal of adventure.

He just wished he could spend a nice quiet afternoon with his brother, watching cartoons and playing board games...

What if his brother never returned?

What if...he was really hurt deep in the forest, or was kidnapped?  
What if the boy never saw him again, and was left alone forever?

The child sniffled, tears starting to stream down his cheeks.

 _I never want to lose you, Fratello..._

What would life be like if..he lost..?-

The boy in green was suddenly tackled. He let out a hoarse cry, like a mouse after it had found itself wedged in the maw of the cat. He thrashed as he was thrown to the ground by the momentum of the other creature. Facing away from the offending weight, he flailed his arms in the direction of his attacker.

" _Fratello_! It's me!"

The boy paused, before darting to face the voice he so dearly recognised. He locked eyes with the child, seeing the wide, toothy grin and the round, chubby cheeks of his brother.

The boy in green suddenly darted forwards and clung onto his brother, locking arms around his neck and sobbing into his chest, murmuring his fears and worries for both his brother's and his own safety. The boy in red stroked his brother's hair a little, dismissing his concerns and reassuring him.

"We're together now, Fratello. There's nothing to be scared of."

The boy in red gently pushed his brother away from his torso, before smiling warmly, patting his head and chuckling softly. He then noticed the state of his brother's jumper, and that a loose string on the back of his sibling's jumper was just sitting there and just _begging_ to be picked at. Unable to divert his attention, the older child immediately began tugging at the lone thread. The younger brother gazed at the thread, which was about 10 cm long, as it pulled out almost perfectly, unravelling from dozens of stitches in the lining of the jumper. The boy in red was about to throw the thread to the floor, when his brother grasped it, staring at it with a pensive look about him. The boy in red, confused, questioned his brother. His brother only smiled, before wrapping the thread tightly around his pinky finger, and encouraging the boy in red to do the same.

"Fratello...we'll always be together. Connected by a string...like this one! It's strong see? Like us. It won't break!"

To prove his point, the younger sibling tugged his hand slightly.

"Promise you'll never leave me? Pinky promise? I'm... scared without you."

The boy in red's eyes widened, and he glanced down at the thread, considering his brother's words. Studying the tear-stained face of his sibling, his smile softened. Letting out a small hum of agreement, he nodded eagerly, laughing lightly. He winked at his brother, holding up his pinky with the thread coiled around it.

"Okay! Pinky promise! For ever and ever."

The boys gazed at each other as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, and turned to leave for home, the boy in red excitedly telling his brother the "cool secret den spots" and "enemy lairs" he had found deep in the forest.

The entire time, they had kept the string tied firmly around their fingers.

The boy in green had never been happier.


	2. Injury and Paranoia

_Chapter One - Injury and Paranoia._

 _Thud._

A pained grunt escaped the man's lips, as he was thrown aside once again. He weakly opened his eyes to see the smug face of his longtime arch-rival in front of his own.

"What's wrong plumber boy? Can't get a hit?"

The tyrant cackled, before nonchalantly whacking the man abreast with a swing of his scaled tail, the twisted expression on his face contorting with glee at the sound of the man's whimpers. The man pitifully cried out, as bones in his body fractured and cracked, tissues torn. Face flushed with severe pain, the man's breathing became more laboured as his nervous system went into overdrive. He swore that his leg had bent into an acute angle, almost mocking an interpretive art piece, the tears on his clothing resembling cross-hatching, as blood slowly seeped from every hachure.

The man tried his utmost to keep himself from screaming and writhing on the throne room floor, from becoming a parody of a fish out of water.

He didn't want to give the reptilian king that pleasure.

"I think it's game over for you Mario. You had a good run."

The tyrant smirked, his demeanour and expression dominant and controlling as he prepared a final, devastating attack, the fire in his gaping maw growing hotter and more _lethal_ by the second, the hues of cardinal and vermillion flames clashing with the jagged whites of the monster's teeth. Mario opened his eyes weakly to gaze at a woman in pink, who watched the denouement in horror, her eyes watering as she weakly grasped the cold, iron bars of her hanging prison. The man gazed at the cage; the warm pink ribbon, tied delicately to the cage lid, jeered at him, mocked him.

 _You couldn't save your little Princess, so frail and weak_.

He ignored the apparent taunts and smiled weakly at her, mouthing a few last words of endearment before closing his eyes and preparing for the end, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth as he started to feel the sheer heat of the embers on his exposed skin.

 _There was so much left unsaid, so much we needed to know about each other...Peach, I'm sorry. I tried my best._

 _Please forgive me._

 **"FRATELLO!"**

He found himself rolled forcefully onto his side, out of range of the turtle tyrant, and with the familiar figure of his brother looming protectively over him, acting as his personal 'protective bubble'. His brother winced, knees buckling slightly as he took the brunt of the fire attack, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Mario stared wide eyed at his brother, his own eyes tearing slightly upon realising the pain his brother must be in.

All because of his _recklessness._

"Ah green 'stache's made his entrance! You're too late greenie. It ends today...and I'll be having the last laugh."

The koopa's laugh sliced through the air, and the younger brother stood shakily. He took another glance at his older, beaten brother and his eyes hardened.

 _I won't break our promise, Fratello_.

Turning to the koopa, he scowled, shooting daggers of pure, unbridled hatred towards the King of the Darklands.

"You'll not lay another claw on him."

The Koopa leered, before taunting and ridiculing the younger brother even more, trying to break the younger man's spirit. Luigi's anger only increased as the Koopa threw more and more insults his way, jeering at him and laughing, an amused look in his piercing, crimson eyes.

"Green stache, Why don't you run on home? Can't you do the washing up or something? Your brother and I have business, and you're just getting in the way y'know."

The younger man, unable to hold in his anger any longer, let out a loud cry as he bounded towards the giant figure of the Koopa, arms flailing and charged with crackling electricity. Unleashing the full power of the _thunderhand_ , he punched the the Koopa king's jaw square-on. The tyrant shuddered and jolted as insane amounts of voltage coursed throughout his body, his muscles spasming under the current, body folding into unnatural shapes as the voltage wracked his system. He flopped to the floor, barely conscious, his eyes only open wide long enough to see the man in green looming over him, a vengeful look etched onto his face.

"You'll never hurt him again."

A sharp pain ran through the king's body, spreading like wildfire as his nerves went into a state of shock. Blood pooled beneath his body as he realised what the young man had done to him, as he noticed the sharpened edge of an aged hammer handle sticking out of his gut. He groaned and moaned, weakly shifting and turning his body over and flipping onto his shell, trying to pull the weapon out of his lower abdomen. Luigi simply watched, studying the king's distressed actions with a deadpan gaze, staring at the tyrant until he stopped moving, seemingly haven fallen into the realms of unconsciousness. Or, perhaps he was dead.

Luigi couldn't give a **damn** either way. He deserved it. _Deserved it for hurting Fratello._

Satisfied, the brother turned towards his injured sibling, bundling him into his arms. Tears started to run freely down his cheeks, and he couldn't help but sniff slightly, cradling his brother's body close to his chest. The older brother, teetering on the edge of consciousness, ran a hand down his sibling's cheek, blood following the path his fingertips took on the contours of the man's face.

"Hey bro...you did it...great job..."

He smiled solemnly at Luigi.

"Maybe...you should take him on next time...not me..haha..."

Luigi shook his head vigorously at his brother's comment, tightening his grip around his body and staring him in the eyes.

"N-no way Mario! That's your job, not mine! I s-stay at home and cheer you on, or try to help you on adventures...I'm not...I'm not like you are...and that's fine! That's how I like it! That's why-"

Luigi found himself interrupted by a rough, rasping coughing fit, and glanced down at his brother to see him hunched over and coughing into his hands, crimson specks dotting his once pristine white gloves, the stains spreading out along the fabric like flowers beginning to bloom.

"O-oh no Mario, y-you need to get that checked out bro...c'mon, we'll go now..."

Luigi tried to pick up his brother carefully, only to get gently pushed away.

"The princess. She's still here...I can't-we can't leave her..."

The man in green watched with sorrow as his brother struggled to stand, legs trembling as he tried to keep balanced on his feet. Luigi shook his head and firmly grabbed his brother's shoulder, wincing when he heard a small whimper of pain from the other.

"I'll get her bro. Just stay put, okay? L-look, I think she's fainted...but she's fine. I'll..I'll go get her. Um..."

The younger brother gently lay his sibling down on the floor, rushing towards the princess' cage. Mario silently stared after him, frowning somewhat. He glanced back towards Bowser, who was still laying motionless, the hammer handle still protruding from his body.

 _"That was aggressive, for him at least...he could've...killed him."_

The older sibling frowned at this thought. It was true, Luigi rarely inflicted such damage on enemies they had faced in the past, it was always up to Mario to land the finishing blow, or very rarely, the killing blow.

Mario shuddered. Was Luigi capable of killing _like that?_ Maybe. Mario hated to kill, however, he felt the safety of the residents and princess of the kingdom he loved so dearly was far more important than his own conscience, and he would do anything to make sure they were all happy and safe. Luigi, on the other hand, could never seem to get past his nerves when facing enemies. Mario had thought it impossible for his brother to even land a severe hit in his life; that was, until now. Gazing at the Koopa king, it became very clear that in the right circumstances, Luigi would go for blood.

That scared Mario.

There was no remorse, only a cold, steeled glare as he plunged the sharpened wooden handle into the koopa's body, and the small smirk that made its way onto the young man's face was contorted and dark.

 _He's not helpless._

The older brother shuddered again at the memory, before coughing heavily, spitting blood in large clots into his hands as his eyes watered. Another wave of pain wracked his body, and the man had to curl up in on himself in the foetal position in order to cope with the new assault on his neurons. His head suddenly felt a lot lighter as the world swayed, and he found himself lying motionless against the cold, unforgiving ground. Eyelids closing, the last of his energy left his body...

A delicate pair of arms propping his body up kept him in a conscious state, and a small, feminine sob caught his attention. Opening his eyes, Mario raised his head to see the woman in pink cradling him and crying, her hair tangled and matted, dress dishevelled and creased.

"Thank goodness you're alright, thank goodness you're alright..."

The women slowly wiped her eyes as she smiled softly down at him. Her pallid porcelain face was marred by streaks of jet black mascara, running down her face like streams, her soft baby blues contoured by puffy red veins. The shadows of the lava and torchlight in the chamber cast upon her visage, almost making her cheeks seem hollow and frail, despite the warm redness of blush powdered on top of them. Her pale lips were devoid of any colour, save for a few specks of blood trailing along her bottom lip from where she had bitten it in anxiety.

"If you were killed, I wouldn't have known what to do..."

Mario grimaced. He really was that close to death, brushing against the grim reaper's fingertips. He cursed himself for letting his guard down, glowering at the floor. If Luigi hadn't have been in the castle, he surely would've been killed. The elder brother stared at the floor in silence, eyes glazed and glassy, lost in thought. The woman, concerned, tenderly cupped his face, lifting it up to meet her eyes.

"Please don't beat yourself up over it...it's the first time in years that this has ever happened. You're _amazing_ , and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You and your brother are the best things to happen to this kingdom, and to _me_."

Mario's eyes widened somewhat. He flicked his gaze over her face, noting her genuine expression. Stumbling over his words, he muttered;

"Peach, I don't...I don't...deserve your respect. I could've...been fine...if I hadn't have...gotten cocky."

Peach sighed. She brought a dainty gloved hand to his hair, slowly running her fingers through the chocolate locks. Mario swore that he could hear her muttering "silly, silly man" under her breath as she massaged his scalp, her fingers moving in circular motions. The man in red found himself closing his eyes slowly, as the touch of the princess' fingers lulled him into a dream-like trance.

" _Ahem_."

An awkward cough broke the moment, and Mario saw himself returning to the planes of reality. His brother stood awkwardly a few metres from him and the princess, arms crossed and leaning over to one side, his gaze focused on the floor. Peach slowly rose, gently aiding Mario also, paying special attention to his injuries.

"Bro needs to see someone, we really...h-haven't got the time to just s-sit around."

Luigi's voice wavered slightly, and his gaze remained plastered to the floor, and Mario swore he could hear a slightly...harsh intonation in his voice, a certain bitterness. Peach, oblivious to Luigi's seemingly odd address, nodded and hummed slightly in agreement, motioning for Luigi to leave with them. She started walking slowly towards the main exit to the throne room, occasionally letting out a little squeak when Mario stumbled and rushing to stabilise him, before she realised that Luigi wasn't following her. She furrowed her brow in concern, turning round. _Had he seen something she hadn't? Was there danger ahead? Why didn't he say anything if there was?_ Peach let her eyes wander to spot the younger brother in green.

He was just standing in the same spot, motionless. His gaze, unlike before, was lifted, his eyes boring into Peach's own pair. Those eyes...they weren't soft and kind-natured like they usually were...they were glassy, frightened, devoid of any warmth. Peach found herself shuddering under Luigi's piercing scrutiny; there was paranoia in that long stare, one that Peach found herself reeling back from. The man in green slowly moved towards her, his steps heavy and clumsy, as if he was struggling to walk. Peach let out a soft, worried mumble, trying to catch Mario's attention as Luigi continued to walk towards them, in the same stiff fashion. The injured man sluggishly regarded the princess, before looking over to his brother, eyes tired and dulled. Luigi, upon making eye contact with his brother, abruptly stopped in his tracks, pupils constricted. He shook his head rapidly, tugging on his hair slightly and biting his lip, before scurrying up to his brother.

"W-why are we wasting time?! We've got to go!"

He threw a concerned and worried gaze at the princess, before tugging her arm gently and clearly demonstrating his intentions. Peach was about to question the younger brother's earlier behaviour, but a particularly horrid and raspy coughing fit from Mario convinced her that it could wait until afterwards.

" _What a strange man..._ " She thought to herself as she followed Luigi out of the castle.

* * *

Mario awoke to find himself wired up to various medical machines, the constant monotone _beep_ ringing in his ears. A single, weak ray of morning sunshine shone on the older brother's face, and he weakly raised a hand to shield his eyes. The strong smell of bleach and cleaning chemicals assaulted his senses, the sheer strength of the odour irritating his nasal passages. He almost wanted to sneeze, but couldn't find the energy to do so. He let his eyes scan the room; the immaculate white walls, the collection of cards and flowers at his bedside, the IV drip...just how badly had he injured himself, anyway? It was clear he was in the infirmary, but Mario honestly couldn't remember how he had gotten there.

The last thing he could recall was the tender touch of the Princess.

The Princess...he wondered if she had gotten back to the castle safely, whether she was enjoying afternoon tea with the toad retainers right now, or if she had been kidnapped again already...Mario really hoped it wasn't the latter. Then again...he knew that Bowser wouldn't be attempting a kidnapping anytime soon. The Koopa King had suffered quite a heavy defeat at the hands of his brother, and although he had magic on his side to heal his physical injuries, Mario knew that the Koopa King would have sustained a large blow to his pride and ego; only time could heal those wounds.

"Fratello...?"

Mario jumped slightly at his brother's voice, rolling over onto his side to face the concerned face of Luigi. He hadn't even heard the door open!

Overcoming his initial shock, Mario smiled softly at his brother, reaching his hand out towards him. Luigi reached out and clasped it, running his thumb up and down his brother's palm, his eyes lowered towards the ground.

"I was so worried, fratello. I thought you were gonna...I thought you were gonna die or...or something like that..."

Luigi's voice broke slightly, and Mario could tell he was on the verge of tears.

"Don't ever do that again, Mar! Okay?! If you go, then I'll have no one! No one! I can't let you go; I won't ever let you go! It's you and me, you and me against...against..."

The younger brother's voice trailed off slightly, as he pondered his words. He raised his gaze, locking eyes with his twin. He gripped slightly harder onto the elder's hand, and his whole body trembled slightly. Mario took pity on his brother, speaking up in a strained, quiet voice.

"I won't leave you...bro. Not ever. O-Okay? Yesterday...that was a...mistake. I learnt my lesson."

He grinned warmly at his brother, chuckling slightly.

"S'pose not even " _Super Mario_ " is invincible, huh?"

Luigi broke into a small smile at the comment, pulling up a chair from the corner of the room and positioning himself at his wounded brother's bedside. He took a hold of Mario's hand again, holding it to his chest, keeping his eyes lowered. He took a shaky breath, and squeezed his brother's hand again. Mario could feel the pounding of his brother's heart on his fingertips.

"I nearly lost you, Fratello. You were doing fine on the way here, but then you had this horrible coughing fit, worse than the ones before, and you couldn't breathe...everything went quiet, I couldn't focus on anything apart from how you were doing. The doc's words just flew right over me, I was just...I was j-just so scared..."

The younger brother sniffed, tightening his grip on his brother's hand, before sighing and letting it go.

"It was so scary...and I know I'm pretty...scared of everything but this was...this was different, Mario, this was..."

Luigi was interrupted by a soft shushing, and glanced sideways towards his brother. A sympathetic smile on his face, Mario coughed lightly before rolling onto his back and gazing at the ceiling of the small room, eyes trailing along the right angles of the square tiles.

"I know how you feel."

Luigi, who had previously been twiddling his thumbs and mindlessly staring at the floor, jerked his head up. He was about to question his brother's statement when the aforementioned's voice ran through the air.

"When I rescue Peach...sometimes I imagine what would happen if I didn't get there in time or...if I failed at a boss. Every time I do, it rips me apart, because it's not just her who would be...affected."

The elder twin's eyes lowered, and without thinking he began picking at a loose thread on his lightly patterned hospital gown. It seemed almost mocking really, the happy mushroom pattern in a place with so much suffering.

"I worry about you too, bro. What would...you do if Bowser got his way..? What would happen to the world...? It really gets me. Bowser...he can be so cruel. He wouldn't...he wouldn't be merciful with you...I wouldn't ever want to see you in pain like that. I wouldn't want to see you..."

Mario's voice wavered slightly; his frame shook as he coughed heavily into his hands. He lethargically groaned, before slowly whispering;

"I wouldn't want to see you die."

The younger twin's expression turned to one of shock, and he couldn't help but let out a gasp. Luigi knew that Mario cared about him; hell, to put up with his many fears and nightmares must've taken real love...but he had never known that Mario was scared of losing him. He was scared of losing his brother.

 _Just like me..._

"That...that means a lot to me, Mario...I never knew that you..."

Another shush, and Luigi brought his eyes to meet his brother's amused ones. He grinned somewhat, before sitting up. Luigi winced as he saw his brother's strained expression, and the shakiness of his arms as he supported his body on the barren, simple hospital bed. His right arm seemed weaker than his left, and Luigi had to guess that perhaps it was because of the IV drip.

 _Poor Fratello._

Luigi himself had been quite lucky. He had suffered quite severe burns on his back; however, thanks to the cooling 'Cream of an Ice Flower' he had been reasonably comfortable. When the cream wore off, the younger brother would be washed with another bout of pain.

He just applied it again in those cases.

It's then Luigi realised something that had never really crossed his mind before. Something that really, he had just taken for granted, something he felt was just meant to be.

 _Fratello isn't invincible. He's human too. He could get hurt and leave me, just like that._

A chill ran down his spine at that thought. No. He couldn't let that happen, he wouldn't let that happen, nothing in the entire world would ever separate him from Mario. Not Peach, not Bowser, _**no-one**_.

He gazed over at Mario, who had lazily flopped down on the thin mattress again, his eyes closed, expression blank. Luigi sadly smiled at his brother, slowly standing up from the rigid chair and traversing the chokingly clean room. Reaching the large panel window, Luigi rested his hands on the window, watching the world go by; watching the joyous families in the park, little toad children laughing and playing...

Luigi found himself sneering slightly at the sight.

They have no idea what we go through for their happiness. What **he** goes through.

This bitterness surprised the young man. He had never felt that way about the citizens' joy before; in fact, he had felt proud that they were able to go about their days contentedly, even with an ever looming threat hanging over their vulnerable lives. Yet here he was, cursing these families for simply enjoying their lives!

 _Perhaps it's because Fratello's suffering for it._

The man lowered his head. It was true, these people knew nothing of his brother's suffering. Was that their fault? The younger brother couldn't answer the question, however, one thing had become abundantly clear in his mind.

 _Fratello, it's you and me against the world._

He would never let Mario get hurt again. His brother, whilst brave and strong, was reckless; he needed to be helped, to be protected.

"I'll take care of you Fratello. I promise. No one will ever hurt you again. Ever."

Once Luigi had whispered his own, personal pact to himself, he reached into his dungaree pocket. After rummaging around a little, he brought out a small, locket style container. The container itself was aged and worn, rusting slightly on the circular edges, the golden colour dulled. The man popped open the container; sitting lone in the centre was a small thread, about 10 cm long, its chartreuse colour bright, and vivid. Full of energy. The man gently grasped the delicate thread, laying it along his palm. Looking out of the window again, he slowly clenched his fist, and held it up to his chest, to his heart.

"I promise."

 _Promessa_.

* * *

 **A/N: So there was chapter one! Hopefully it formatted correctly, had to upload from my phone since I'm in Thailand right now, and my laptop is out of commission!**

 **A quick thanks to all you readers who have reviewed, favourited, followed or even just read this story! It really means a lot, and I hope you stick around!**

 **\- OrpheusFirefly**


	3. Recovery

**A/N :** See endnotes for additional notes and review replies!

 **\- Orpheus Firefly**

* * *

 _Chapter 2: Recovery._

 **Clink.**

 **Clink.**

 **Ka-chunk.**

Mario drowsily watched his younger brother swiftly unlock the aged, wooden front door of their home, drooped eyes following the circular motions of the tiny silver key in the door's lock. The other, unused keys on the small keychain clinked against each other with the momentum, jangling softly with quiet metallic tinks. The door, slightly rotten on its well-worn edges, rattled in protest against its bare frame as it was unlocked, and Mario swore he saw a few flecks of ancient red matte paint fly off as it stiffly budged. He gazed at the faded coat of paint covering the door, the erosion of the warm colour almost creating a gradient effect across the length of the oak pane. As his brother began to completely open the weathered door, smiling brightly back at him, he felt a sudden wave of melancholy sweep over his body.

" _ **Does it need to be red? Green would suit the house way better, bro."**_

 _ **The younger brother held up a large tin of paint, a flathead paintbrush tucked behind his ear, grinning slightly. He stared thoughtfully at the door, pondering, before gasping, turning to face the elder, his excited expression almost parodying that of the energetic mascot adorning the face of the tin.**_

 _ **Mario almost laughed.**_

" _ **Here's an idea! Dual tone! Red and green! Best of both worlds bro!"**_

 _ **Mario remembered telling his brother that his idea, whilst unique, probably wouldn't work, that perhaps sticking to an ordinary block colour would be far more tasteful than a gaudy flashback to the crazes of times gone by. He had expected his brother to sigh with disappointment and appear deflated, dropping the paint can with a sonorous clang that would linger in the air for far too long to be comfortable, the atmosphere overall to become one of awkwardness between the two. Yet, he was surprised when Luigi didn't seem fussed, and just fetched the already open red paint tin before starting to haphazardly splash vermillion matte onto the white-washed door, droplets of paint flying from the brush, covering the surrounding area with a vermillion fallout.**_

 _ **The older sibling watched his brother for a while before raising his head, looking up at the calm, tranquil skies, watching the white, puffy clouds beam down at him, the slight wind tickling his skin. He stretched out slightly, raising his arms up towards the sky, and exhaled, face bright. This house...the Mushroom Kingdom...**_

 _ **This is where they belonged.**_

The man frowned, eyes scrunched slightly. That coat of paint was at least five years old, if not older. He quickly diverted his eyes from the weary paint job, as if ignoring it would make the task of repainting disappear, and brought his attention to the now fully open door, said door screeching and creaking as it wavered slightly in the breeze, flexing its worse for wear hinges, their once golden, bright colour lost to a forest of green specks, dotted all across their surfaces.

 _We really need to replace those hinges._

The older brother begrudgingly added the menial task, as well as repainting the door, to his mental "to do list", before sluggishly following his younger sibling, who had already set himself down on the quaint leather sofa in the brothers' living room. Mario struggled somewhat with his lanky crutches, the rigidity of the instruments making his movements appear like those of a fawn, fresh on its feet. He clumsily crossed the threshold of his home, not noticing as the right crutch caught against the slightly raised doorframe, causing the weakened man to stumble, losing his pitiful balance completely. Toppling like a felled tree, he cried out feebly, clenching his eyes shut, internally bracing himself for the inevitable searing pain that would undoubtedly force its way up his thickly plastered calf, and to the rest of his aching body.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

 _This is gonna hurt. This will hurt...big time._

A few seconds passed, and the injured man suddenly realised that he hadn't fallen dramatically into the embrace of the cold, hard ground, arms flailing in an undignified fashion, like he thought he would have.

 _...What?_

Upon not feeling the ground or his theorised unbridled pain, he knew that he must've been mistaken in his predictions; that or he had lost all feeling altogether.

He sincerely hoped it wasn't the latter.

His fears were dispelled when he realised a tight grip on his upper torso, preventing him from falling onto the wooden, unforgiving floor, preventing both the hurt and humiliation. He was comfortably rested in the trembling arms of his sibling, the younger brother's face full of concern and, from what Mario could interpret and understand, a certain fear. The younger's gloved hands held a vice-like grip on his brother's clothing, as if he was afraid he would just vaporise into thin air right in front of his eyes, or be torn away from his arms by an unknown entity if he let go.

His hold was so intense that Mario feared he might bruise a little.

"Y-you okay? You okay bro? Sorry, I should've stayed and helped, I-"

Luigi was interrupted by the slow shifting of his brother's body in his arms, as he flashed a sincere, thankful smile. He carefully slid his arms into the crutches once more, trying to ignore the way they snagged the sleeves of his trademark red shirt, jauntily trying to retain his balance; though, Luigi could tell he was finding some difficulty due to the way he his bare knuckles turned white and stiff as they gripped the crutch handles, and how he trembled and shook, like a wilted leaf in a strong gale.

 _Fratello's in such a state..._

"Bro, let me help, _please._ "

The older brother turned around with an exerted effort, surprise as plain as day on his visage, his mouth opening slightly but not uttering a sound, as if he were tongue-tied. Luigi, not waiting for the imminent answer of stubborn refusal from his prideful brother, scooped him gently, yet firmly, into his arms, cradling him carefully as to not cause any further harm. The crutches, not being properly fitted onto Mario's arms in the first place, fell effortlessly to the floor, producing a loud and obnoxious **clang** as they did so. Luigi winced slightly at the noise, before sheepishly grinning at his somewhat stung brother, the latter's expression mirroring that of a petulant child.

 _He's probably embarrassed about having to be helped. He's always been stubborn._

He chuckled quietly to himself, ignoring his brother's questioning and somewhat piercing gaze, a scrutinising gaze, one that was trying to figure the younger man's intentions out, one that was trying to _understand_ the younger man.

 _He knows I'm doing this because I love him, and I don't want to lose him, right?_

 _...Right?_

 _We're each other's only family, after all._

Luigi walked somewhat stiffly, and Mario noted a glazed look in his eyes, and despite his apparent joviality a few seconds beforehand, the corners of his mouth were now twisted into a firm, strong grimace. He wondered what had gotten into his usually carefree brother, what _exactly_ had caused such a dramatic personality twist and change in demeanour. It couldn't have been from what had just happened, a minor fall would have been painful, of course, but it was nothing compared to what had happened a few days prior.

... _A few days prior..._

This memory suddenly stopped the elder in his trail of thought.

 _His aggression with Bowser...and now this?_

The man furrowed his brow, lost and nearly drowning in a senseless sea of his own thoughts, both openly optimistic and gravely pessimistic. He let out a slight groan, massaging his temples as he felt a sharp, stabbing migraine coming along to further aggravate the existent pains in his body.

 _He's just overprotective right now. I did almost die before. It's understandable, if you think about it._

 _...But to this extent? This is_ _ **creepy**_ _, it's not just concern anymore!_

 _It's nice he cares this much._

 _He's_ _ **obsessive over you**_ _! This isn't just concern! This is-_

" _He-llooo?_ Earth to Mario, you in there?"

The older brother was forcefully yanked out of his torrent of thoughts, and blinking slightly, he turned to lock eyes with his younger sibling standing still in front of him. Sitting up on the sofa that his brother had laid him on, Mario threw a questioning look towards the younger man. Luigi smiled somewhat nervously, holding a small glass of tap water, the water rippling in accordance with the tremors of his hand. Upon making eye contact, he slowly held the water out towards the injured man, eyes focused on the sofa rather than the man he was handing the beverage to.

"H-here. I...I'm not sure how to really help but uh...well, this was the least I could do...I suppose..."

The younger man coughed awkwardly, his arm still outstretched, the glass still shaking in his quavering hands. Mario stared at the glass; he recognised it, he _definitely_ recognised it, the small chip on the rim, the faded happy toad decal, the buttercup polka dot pattern...

" _ **I bought some glasses for the cupboard! Pretty neat huh? They're sweet, look!"**_

 _ **The elder let out a lilted laugh.  
"They're very nice, Luigi."**_

 _ **The younger sibling grinned, eagerly tearing away the polystyrene casing of the newly bought glasses. Unwrapping all five of them, Luigi wasted no time in filling their new pine drinks cabinet with the glassware. Mario watched silently, a fond smile adorning his face.**_

" _ **You're enjoying the whole 'decorating the new house' thing, aren't you?"  
At this, Luigi turned to the speaker, laughing and nodding.**_

" _ **Yup! This'll be the best home ever, you'll see Mario!"**_

" _ **You'll see!"**_

As quickly as the memory came to the man, it left, leaving the elder with long-lost remnants of a time gone by.

 _Why am I getting so nostalgic...?_

The man shook his head slightly, taking the glass from his expectant brother and clasping it tightly, noting the faded and washed out colours of the design. He sighed, before eventually trying to initiate conversation.

"Haven't seen these glasses in a while, bro."

"I...j-just found them in the back of the cupboard recently, actually...I thought it would be nice to use them again and all...haha..."

The younger man's words trailed off as he glanced around the room, seemingly taking interest in the most mundane objects rather than the person he was speaking to.

Mario nodded curtly at his brother, redirecting his attention to drinking the liquid in his glass.

He carefully sipped some of the water, the liquid instantly cooling his throbbing throat. He sighed audibly, starting to relax slightly before clenching his eyes at another sudden jab of pain from his head, the ache dispersing all over his body. Gritting his teeth, the man refused to let out a sound of suffering, his apparent pride forbidding him from doing so. Even through the wave of pain, Mario could distinguish the sofa sinking down slightly next to him, and he turned his gaze to his brother, who had made himself comfortable against the tapestried cushions. He held a small, translucent orange plastic bottle in his hands, along with a clear 5 ml dosage spoon. He hummed slightly he poured the syrup-like liquid out, yelping slightly when he spilled a few stray drops of the substance onto his lap.

"B-bro, we need you to take this medicine daily...it's meant to help with the pain and all that...but I don't know what it does specifically. I wasn't really listening to the Doc, I was too busy...uh...worrying I guess..."

He awkwardly laughed a tad, before turning to face his brother, steadying the full spoon to avoid spilling the liquid again. He tried passing the spoon to his brother, however, Mario's shaking hand made it all but impossible to achieve. Luigi frowned, glancing down at the spoon before raising his gaze to his brother.

"...I'll help you. Open your mouth, Bro, I don't think it tastes too bad..."

Mario groaned slightly, sulking and clearly not impressed or amused by the apparent essential spoon feeding. Reluctantly, he nodded and slightly opened his mouth, averting his gaze; he couldn't believe he had to be treated as though he were an ill child again. He was about to close his mouth and complain to Luigi about the absurdity of the situation when the spoon was jabbed ungracefully into his mouth, the tart aroma of the medicine causing his eyes to widen in shock, threatening to tear up as his taste buds were viciously attacked. As quickly as it intruded, the spoon retreated, leaving the man with the foul taste of the liquefied drug. He couldn't quite describe the taste, but if he were to try, it would be a horrid concoction of artificial lemon that was far too sour to be appetising in any sense of the word, mixed with a slight soapiness and chemical taste that made Mario doubt the validity of the medicine, and to top it off, it had a feeble, grainy texture, almost as if he were forcing sand and grit down his throat.

To put it frankly, he didn't enjoy taking it.

He supposed his displeasure must've shown, for Luigi was frowning at him in sympathy.

"Is it that bad? I didn't realise, I could try and find some home remedies instead, i-if you want."

Mario shook his head rigidly, his face still contorted due to the aftertaste of the abhorrent liquid.

"If the Doc prescribed it, it's the best thing for me...even if it is... _disgusting_ **.** "

He grinned slightly, before raising his eyes to meet Luigi's.

Mario found that his smile faded rather quickly.

Luigi was staring at the ground, his eyes blank and hardened, _cold._ He seemed to be acting in the same way he had done before, with Bowser a few days prior.

"Do they really know what's best for you? They don't know you..."

Mario was about to interrupt, trying to joke about the Doctor's obvious medical prowess over their own, when he heard a delicate murmur from his brother.

"They don't know you like _I_ do..."

Mario raised his eyebrows at that comment, eyes wide and questioning, slightly worried about the meaning behind such an odd comment.

 _He is OBSESSED. You just won't accept it!_

The man held back another disgruntled groan as his migraine returned, trying to ignore his inner conflict on the recent actions of his brother, the _change_ in his brother.

 _Has he really...changed...?_

Mario couldn't answer that. Of course, his brother had been acting strangely but...that wasn't permanent, right? He was clearly just overwhelmed, and Mario completely understood why that could be the case.

 _He's just really worried right now; he wants the best for me, as I would for him._

 _This is...fine._

After convincing himself of the acceptability of his brother's odd acquired tendencies, Mario felt far more relaxed, finally able to ease his shoulder muscles that had been tense since his brother had been sat beside his person, finally opening his posture, no longer inadvertently uptight and confused. Luigi noticed this change in attitude in his brother, shifting his eyes to watch him eventually lower his stiff shoulders that had made him appear like a vulnerable animal, curling up in on itself.

 _Wonder what he was worrying about...I would've made sure he would be safe, no matter what._

"Fratello?"

Luigi watched as his brother listened carefully to his voice, the cautious air that had once surrounded him no longer present. Luigi noted that, for the first time in weeks, his face seemed completely devoid of any stress.

 _Perhaps it's my influence...I've been doing a good job!_

The younger man felt a strong sense of pride for that achievement, before snapping his mind back to the current conversation, before his brother started to _worry_ again.

"You know that I would never l-let you get hurt right? There's no need to be cautious here, this is your home, bro."

His brother nodded, somewhat lethargically, his roughed up and tightly tangled locks of chocolate lightly swaying with the vertical movement. His eyes were half-lidded, and he appeared to be trying his utmost to keep his head from dropping down against his chest, to keep himself from entering the realm of sleep. Luigi cracked a sympathetic smile at the drowsy man, carefully sliding his arm around his sibling's shoulders, pulling him towards his body, towards his natural warmth.

Whilst Luigi had expected his brother to enter dreamland relatively quickly, he hadn't expected him to conk out as soon as he was rested against Luigi's upper torso, snoring faintly, his gentle breathing grazing the skin on the younger's neck. Tussling his older sibling's hair, the man smiled to himself.

 _I'll always look after you Fratello, just like we promised._

 _We'll always be with each other._

 _Always._

* * *

Warm sunlight streamed in strong rays through the frosted window pane, making it appear opaque with shimmering shards of ice, and lightly skimmed the warm, cream walls, adding a new sheen to the paintwork. The room was cold, yet not enough to be uncomfortable; the temperature was just right as to be refreshing, the crisp air from the slightly ajar window freshening the room.

Upon feeling the gentle touch of the light and warmth of the morning dawn on his cheek, Mario slowly opened his eyes, adjusting his somewhat blurred vision to the clear brightness of the early morning, yawning silently and rubbing at sleep which had lightly crusted in the inner corners of his eyes. Moving his head by a tiny amount, he threw a lazy glance towards his younger sibling, slightly nudging his chin a little. This didn't seem to wake the younger of the duo, and Mario inwardly sighed. He didn't want to wake his brother; the calmness of his face and the air of utmost tranquillity around him persuading the elder to let him be in his blissful sleep. However, due to his brother's ever firm grip around his shoulders, the man found it to be difficult to shift his body out of his twin's arms without slightly disturbing him somewhat; and the tired, annoyed grunts from the still snoozing man signalled to him that perhaps wriggling about wasn't the greatest or the brightest of ideas. Eventually, the injured man ceased his attempts of escape, instead settling down against Luigi's torso again and hoping to catch a few more minutes of shut-eye, at least until his sibling awoke from his slumber.

 _He's always been...clingy..._

The man's eyes started to droop again, as his mind began to slow to a dozy state.

 _Clingy..._

Completely shutting his eyes, the older brother began to relax once more, trying to achieve the calmness of sleep to pass the time. For a few minutes, he continued to lay in his trance-like state, listening to his brother's steady, rhythmic breathing, and the sweet melodies of waking songbirds outside in the front garden, the gentle ticking of the mantelpiece clock lulling him into a state of slumber once more.

 **Ring.**

Mario's eyes snapped open upon hearing the harsh screech of the doorbell slicing through the air, and he felt his brother stirring slightly, grumbling and complaining tiredly, running one hand through his hair, the other rubbing his temples somewhat.

 **Knock.**

 **Ring ring.**

 _Whoever this is, they're persistent._

His younger brother eventually opened his eyes groggily, somewhat annoyed with the disturbance to his otherwise peaceful sleep. He glanced down at his older brother, suddenly cheering up and smiling softly.

" _Buongiorno,_ Fratello."

 **Knock.**

Luigi hissed faintly at the sound, groaning and sitting up, finally releasing his hold on his brother.

"Should I get it, Luigi?"

Turning to his older twin, Luigi shook his head rapidly, waving his hands from side to side and laughing quietly.

"No no, it's fine Fratello, I'll get it..."

He quickly rose from the sofa, hurrying himself to the entrance to the living room.

"See? I'm here already, so don't worry yourself."

Mario slowly nodded, a quiet "uh huh" escaping his lips as he did so.

 _It does make sense. You can hardly walk._

It was true; without his crutches, Mario couldn't walk at all, and even with the aid of the essential instruments, Mario found that his walking appeared to be akin to that of a robot.

In any case, he wasn't suited to movement at all in his current state.

Yet, there was something about his brother's answers, something about the _tone_ of his brother's answers that perplexed him, leaving him nonplussed.

 _Why was he so...flighty about it? He's not...hiding anything..._

 _Is he..?_

The wounded man sighed solemnly, blocking out the sounds of his brother opening the front door, blocking out the world.

He needed time to think. He needed time to understand everything.

Luigi peered through the open door to come face to face with the Kingdom's very own princess, her pretty, pale face shining in the morning light, giving her a lush, healthy glow. She smiled at the younger brother, her hands crossed over her front, luscious blonde locks swaying slightly in the breeze and tumbling down her dainty shoulders.

"Good morning Luigi. I trust you're doing well; how are you? It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?"

The man froze, his hand trembling on the door handle.

 _I could just slam the door, and she would go away. Everyone would stay away._

He glanced towards the floor, awkwardly kicking at it before feebly responding;

"Y-yes, princess."

Gulping slightly, he raised his eyes to meet the princess' warm baby blues.

"W-what brings you here?"

The woman frowned faintly, her gaze lowered, as she clasped a delicate gloved hand on her chest, the palm laying over the sapphire pendant on her dress. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she fell silent for a moment before speaking softly.

"I wanted to see if Mario was doing well...after what happened a week ago. I couldn't stop worrying about him, and as soon as I heard he had been discharged from hospital I knew I simply had to visit...do you mind if I come in?"

Luigi so desperately wanted to say _no_ , to prevent the root cause of his brother's continual suffering from interacting with him any longer, but he knew that if he did such a thing, Mario would most definitely take it the wrong way. He could almost visualise the hurt that would be plastered on his brother's face, the sadness and disappointment. Perhaps his eyes would water slightly, or perhaps they would lower with fury? Would he never trust his brother ever again?

Luigi didn't know, and for that reason he didn't want to take any chances.

Plastering a false smile across his face, he stepped away from the door, gesturing inside to the pretty woman in pink.

"Y-yes, of course, Peach..."

Peach smiled gratefully, nodding slightly at Luigi as she passed gracefully by him, her soft rose dress fluttering behind her as she walked.

"Thank you..."

Luigi closed the door, the resounding "click" rattling him. He wasn't comfortable with this woman, the woman whose incapability only lead to his brother's pain, being so close to his sibling, his only family. He wanted to cut all ties to the lady, to completely nullify the chances of his only family being snatched away from him like it almost was a week ago.

He just wanted to protect his sibling.

 _We look after each other. I know Fratello won't be taken away when I'm with him._

The young man stood still, gripping and contorting his hands, trying to ignore the presence of the lady in pink.

Not waiting for Luigi to join her, Peach tenderly stepped foot into the living room, her eyes scanning over the room. It was rather small, quaint, with randomly sized photos and cards littering the mantelpiece near the window. A television set that looked rather old sat in the far corner of the room, and Peach inferred that it hadn't been used for quite a while due to the large collection of abandoned cobwebs and layers of dust adorning its surface. A variety of old, battered video cassettes lay stacked in a tiny plastic crate, some spilling out onto the floor, their labels faded. Peach could vaguely make out some dates on the tapes, dates linking back to twenty or so years ago.

 _Family tapes..._

The floor was wooden, garnished with a light checkerboard pattern. It was suitably clean, yet it was obvious that it hadn't been properly cared for due to the fading of the once brilliant shades of mahogany, and the princess found herself wishing that the brothers were as good at cleaning and housework as they were at their heroics. She stopped her brutal inspection of the quiet room and instead brought her attention to the man sat limply on the sofa, his eyes glazed and distant. She resisted the urge to frown and instead kept her sweet smile on her face, placing herself down carefully next to the older brother, arranging her skirts neatly.

"Mario?"

The man almost immediately turned to address her, shocked, his expression mirroring that of a rabbit in the headlights. Upon recognising the woman who sat beside him, the man relaxed, laughing weakly.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming...when did you get here Peach?"

Peach giggled in amusement, leaning back into the inviting plush cushions on the sofa.

"I've only just arrived; your brother let me in."

She let her eyes wander, and it was then that she noticed the way that the man's hair was ruffled and tousled, sticking up in all directions like overgrown foliage. She tittered, bringing her hand up to smooth down one particularly offending cowlick on the top of the man's head. Mario, half asleep and not expecting this action, just sat still, somewhat stunned.

"Were you sleeping before I came?"

The man glanced down, trying to ignore the redness that threatened to show itself on his cheeks.

"Yeah...I must be a complete bed-head, huh?"  
Mario laughed, a happy lilt in his somewhat weakened voice. Peach grinned at the sight, feeling relieved at the man's seemingly high spirits. She sat silently for a few moments, listening to the man's calm breathing next to her, before raising her voice again.

"The military advisors don't think Bowser will attack for quite some time; he's disbanded his troops that were once stationed on the Kingdom Frontiers."  
She paused to glance at Mario, who was nodding, understanding what she was stating.

"That's good. It will give you a break, Peach; It can't be healthy, being forcefully moved and kidnapped all the time."

The princess failed to hide a grimace and turned to fully face Mario, surprising the latter slightly.

"That's... not quite what I'm getting at. Mario, look at yourself. You need a break, a holiday of some sort...not me. I'm not the one traversing perilous worlds, I'm not the one who was nearly fatally injured...that was you, is you. Please, take a break..."

The hero opened his mouth to argue slightly, but cut himself short upon hearing a small whisper from the woman beside him.

"...for me."

Mario sighed somewhat shakily. He didn't really want to 'take a break', as even if Bowser himself was out of commission, plenty of other no-good villains would be happy to seize the opportunity and attack the relatively weak kingdom.

The Mushroom Kingdom wasn't known for its military prowess; many people didn't even believe it had soldiers at all.

 _Besides, Isle Delfino definitely taught me a lesson about going on holiday._

Biting his lip, the man averted his gaze from the worried lady in front of him. He couldn't say no to her, he didn't want to upset her...but at the same time, a break was most definitely out of question.

"Mario? Are you alright? You've been quiet for quite some time, is there something bothering you?"

 _Lost in my thoughts again..._

"No, nothing's wrong Peach..."

He paused, considering his apparent options before sighing in defeat.

"So... what would you suggest for a break, then?"

The woman perked up at this comment, delighted by the man's acceptance of the idea.

"I was thinking we could go together, like Isle Delfino...that was a fun trip, wasn't it? The fruit was to die for!"

 _You seem to be ignoring the part where I was a criminal and you were kidnapped..._

" _Si,_ it was fun...but perhaps not there again."

The hero coughed awkwardly, and the princess sympathetically smiled.

"Ah yes...perhaps not there then. Oh, how about-"

Another cough broke the conversation, although this time the cough was less raspy and weak, and more overly polite. Peach quickly noticed that this time it wasn't her dear friend beside her, but rather a man leaning in the doorway, said man looking rather...

Annoyed.

 _Did I do something to offend Luigi? Oh heavens..._

The younger brother glanced at the clock, before speaking monotonously to the fair princess.

"It's time for Mario's medicine, sorry Princess. You see, he's really ill, perhaps _too ill to travel..."_

The younger sibling sighed, overemphasizing an expression of disappointment and raising his arms, shaking his head slowly.

"It's a shame, but his health comes first, right?"

The princess frowned, suddenly feeling rather guilty, clasping her hands on her lap.

"Y-yes of course..."

The woman looked sadly towards the older brother, her mood sullen. She brushed her hand slightly over the injured man's on the sofa, squeezing it slightly.

"I didn't realise it was that bad..."

She sat silently for a while, before gasping, face bright with realisation.

"How about you stay at the castle? We have medics on hand, and we can arrange catered care for you; perhaps it would aid your recovery?"

Before Mario could even react, Luigi raised his voice, waving his arms and shaking his head in an absolute statement of utmost disapproval.

"A-absolutely not...he needs somewhere familiar, you can't replace the feeling of home...a-and I know exactly what to do for him, he doesn't need anything more...!"

Both Peach and Mario raised eyebrows at the outcry, the latter seeming somewhat surprised by the vehemence of the younger sibling. Their questioning gazes spoke volumes, and Luigi soon found himself nervously glancing around the room to avoid their scrutinising stares, and he feared that a bead of sweat might threaten to drip down his face.

"I…I just want him to get soon as quick as possible, I want everything to go back to normal as soon as it can…that's w-why I think he should stay here, familiar surroundings aid with recovery just as much as the m-medicine after all…."

Luigi knew full well he was grasping at straws, and fiddled with his hands in a flustered manner, eyes glued to the checkerboard laminate floor.

 _Please don't question me further, please don't question…._

"I…I see. Very well, perhaps you're right, Luigi. Maybe he would recover better in a familiar environment."

The princess smiled weakly, slowly standing and straightening out the skirts of her frilled dress. She paused and glanced at the injured man on the sofa, throwing a sympathetic look towards him.

"Get well soon, Mario. If there's anything I can do…please, just let me know. It's the least I could offer you."

Said man nodded, grinning fondly back at the pretty woman in pink.

"Of course. See you soon, Peachy."

Peach giggled again, before making her way to the door to the lounge. Noticing that Luigi hadn't yet moved from his perch in the doorway, the princess coughed politely to attract his attention. Luigi, having been dragged out of his stupor, moved aside, muttering a feeble, forced " _Scusa"._

As Peach made her way towards the front door of the small, quiet house, she felt as though a million daggers were piercing her back, digging into her skin with the intention of forever scaring her away, and as she closed that tattered oak door, had she looked back she would've seen the eye of man **glaring** at her through the peephole; the glare holding such **malice** and **hatred** that she would have felt that the owner of the piercing stare thought her to be a universally hated criminal who had committed the most heinous act of treason.

* * *

 **A/N :** Whew, that was a long one! I never intended to make this chapter so long, but I felt that there needed to be some nice familial and background development before the main action begins! (I won't spoil you too much, but starting from next chapter things will be...interesting, to say the least.)

Thank you for all the positive reviews, favourites and watches! I'm so glad my story is being well received, and I'm happy you're all enjoying it! I've also decided that I'll respond to reviews in these A/Ns, because otherwise I'll feel as though I've left you all in the lurch! (and that just ain't my style.)

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Thank you for the positive feedback! (I'm really happy you're enjoying the story so far!)Yes, editing on a phone was a...unique experience, and I must say that this site definitely works better on laptops... (for uploading purposes anyway)

 **NormanWhitesmith:** Haha, your review did get a chuckle out of me, I will admit; always nice to see unique reviews like that! I'm really grateful for your amazing feedback, and I really hope you enjoy where the story goes in the future! (Don't worry, I'm sure Luigi won't actually come after you...although I can't make any promises!)

 **Rockster:** Yeah, it is definitely difficult to get a right balance between Luigi's violence and Bowser's suffering (especially as I usually view the King as more of a comedic character than a serious one) though I'm glad it didn't come across as too one-sided either way! (We don't need any mindless violence, tut.)

Thank you for pointing out that typo in the last chapter; it most likely happened thanks to the wonders of mobile editing, and I just didn't notice it before I uploaded; good thing for the reviewers, eh?

 **A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED SO FAR!**

Sorry I can't respond to each and every one of you, I would definitely want to, however, I don't want this section to drag out too long! I always read each review as soon as I get that email in my inbox (I'm always so excited that I have to check it right away) and it always brings a smile to my face to read that people are finding enjoyment from my writing. (I promise I won't be this sappy in the future; it definitely wouldn't fit the tone of the story!)

Anyway, thank you for waiting for this update!

 **Orpheus-Firefly**


	4. Strained Links of Trust

**A/N :** Woah, it's been a while! Sorry for the lateness of this upload and I hope I didn't worry any of you, haha. I won't drag on about my circumstances, but stuff has been really hectic recently and I just never got round to formatting this chapter and uploading. (even though the finished chapter has been sitting on my computer since the start of January...) I won't respond to all the reviews this time (I don't want to drag the upload date even further back) but please know that I value every single review, and I'm glad you're all enjoying the story! (for a few general questions, please see the end of the chapter)

 ** _Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and supported this story so far!_**

 ** _\- Orpheus-Firefly_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 3 – Strained links of Trust_**

Soft, licking flames burned along narrow wicks of various scented candles, scenting the small bedroom with lavender, rosemary, and peppermint, the aromatic smells combining to create a serene, calm atmosphere. Standing in the centre of the neat candle arrangement, a toadstool-shaped lamp shone, casting a sober, pale honey light across the walls from a petite bedside table. The glow danced along assortments of portrait photographs, travel souvenirs and knick-knacks that were scattered along various surfaces before touching upon well-used articles of sports equipment that lay haphazardly against the cream walls. The luminescence was at its strongest as it traversed across piles of woollen blankets and duvets that lay on a standard wooden bed, the thick layers of material clumped together around the vague form of a person. Despite the warmth of the blankets and candles, the figure shivered with an intensity that would've appeared concerning to any medical professional.

 **Tap.**

 **Tap.**

 _ **Creeeeeak.**_

"Fratello?"

The voice of a young man gently laced around the calm air, his intonation sweet, and soft. He tentatively approached the shaking mound of blankets, minding his steps as to make as little noise as possible. He carried a small, cheerfully patterned mug in his slightly trembling hands, alongside a translucent orange bottle and spoon. The man glanced at the medicinal bottle thoughtfully, a sombre frown crossing his face. Standing in silence and seemingly losing track of his thoughts, the younger brother stared into space before shaking his head and sighing softly, an expression of sad resoluteness across his visage.

"Mario, Fratello, I...I made you warm milk. I know you like that and uh..."

Luigi trailed off at the slight rustling of covers on the bed, watching carefully as his older twin slowly emerged from the collective mass of materials, like a tiny rabbit leaving the safety of its burrow. His eyes, red and puffy, glanced up at his younger brother, a faint, yet grateful smile on his face. The aforementioned face was worn and tired; once energetic sapphire eyes had now dulled and faded, large bags lying limply below them. The man's skin no longer held the olive vividness it had once possessed; instead, his complexion had a certain pallor to it, only emphasised by the dark halos that crisply contoured his weary eyes.

"Thanks, bro. You know me too well..."

Mario laughed quietly, his voice somewhat hoarse and raspy in tone. He sluggishly reached out for the mug, frigid arms shivering even under the synthetic fluffiness of his patterned pyjama jumper. Luigi handed the warm beverage carefully to his brother, frowning strongly at the elder's overall state.

 _He's really bad...but...he'll be fine. I'm with him. He has_ _ **me**_ _caring for him._

"Mario...I've got your medicine too. It's about the time to take it...I'll help you..."

The older twin frowned, seeming hesitant, averting his eyes from his brother to stare intensely at the creamy milk in the mug. Luigi stood silently, his unwavering gaze expecting an answer. He began to slowly unscrew the medicine's cap, before stopping himself.

 _I'm...doing the right thing for him, aren't I? He...won't get any worse. He_ _ **can't**_ _get any worse._

The younger sibling studied his brother's face, searching for the message which the other wouldn't vocalise; he only sat silently, occasionally raising the mug to his lips and taking a weak sip, his eyes almost glazed over. Luigi couldn't figure out anything from his twin's expression.

"So..um...you know how it goes by now, right?"

Mario nodded, finally raising his eyes up to his brother's, flashing a small smile.

Luigi noted that it wasn't a completely natural smile; it was almost mechanical, forced, as if his sibling was putting on a ' _brave face'_ for him.

Luigi wished he wouldn't do that. It was so obvious when he did it.

"Y-yeah. _Resisti,_ just let me place this down..."

Luigi watched intently as the older twin slowly placed the mug gently down on the bedside table, edging a few candles away to make space for the object at the edge of the table. Luigi couldn't help but clench up his hands nervously as he watched his brother clumsily manoeuvre the fragranced sticks, eyes like a hawk's, watching every sloppy movement his weary brother made.

 _If he knocks them onto himself, he'll be...he'll be_ _ **hurt**_ _again._

"Hey, Fratello? Why don't we move the candles...they're a bit dangerous there and um..."

Luigi didn't even wait for the other's answer as he quickly snuffed the flames and moved the sticks to the top of a chest of drawers, out of reach of his now annoyed twin. Sheepishly, Luigi turned to meet his brother's annoyed gaze, grinning nervously.

"We can get incense sticks...and for now the fragrance should still diffuse; I've only just put them out."

Luigi heard Mario take a small breath, and braced himself for the inevitable disappointment in his brother's voice; the **frustration** or the **annoyance** at how Luigi was behaving. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised by an almost minute, gentle voice of complacency.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. They...t-they just helped with my throat that's all."

Another small breath.

"It's...really hard to breathe sometimes, my throat it feels all swollen up and tight. I must be getting a c-cold or something..."

Mario slowly smiled at his twin; however this gesture did nothing to comfort the younger sibling. With shaking hands, Luigi slowly raised the medicine bottle, staring at it thoughtfully. He walked closer to Mario, a pensive look about his countenance. Exhaling, the younger twin softly murmured to himself, brows furrowed and eyes starting to water. Mario frowned upon seeing this; what had he said to cause this sort of reaction?

 _Luigi has been paranoid about my health recently. Perhaps he's upset I'm not getting better?_

The younger sibling had ensured that the injured man had taken his daily dose of medication each day, measuring the dosage out with a precision that rivalled a chemist. Mario couldn't have asked for more; Luigi would do everything for him. **Everything.** Whether it was helping him cook, or even cooking _for him_ , or helping him do the laundry, or doing his laundry _for him_ , Luigi was always there just to...just to _help him_. However, Mario did find the friendly behaviour slightly concerning; whilst he appreciated the younger's dedication greatly, he couldn't help but wonder if Luigi ever got any time for himself, any time for him to relax and unwind without having to worry about his older twin who had stupidly gotten injured by being too cocky for his own good. Mario never voiced his concerns though, mainly because he didn't want to confuse the already panicky younger man, but also because a small voice in the back of his mind told him not to; that he shouldn't question the younger's abnormal behaviour.

 _He's obsessive over you...this isn't just concern..._

The same recurring thought that had crossed the man's mind multiple times over the past weeks pestered him yet again, as he pondered over his younger sibling. Maybe...maybe there was some truth lying beneath that statement.

Mario couldn't deny it anymore.

Luigi **was** being obsessive, to the fact that he would make sure his older twin was able to sleep at _just the right temperature,_ to the fact that when Mario couldn't stifle a cough and entered a raspy yet quite minor coughing fit, Luigi would panic and rush over, completely forgetting what he was previously doing just to attend to his brother, just to look after his brother.

 _He has to calm down, for his own sake..._

Another fact Mario couldn't deny was his younger sibling's constant ticks and twitches, his inability to stay still in one place for too long without fidgeting, without asking the injured twin how he was feeling or sticking a thermometer into his mouth for the umpteenth time just to receive the same reading. Luigi's "healthy" face matched Mario's ill one too much for the older sibling to be content; the younger twin, like his injured brother, had giant dark rings around his dulled eyes, skin far paler than what his natural tone should be, chestnut hair dishevelled, and messy. If Mario hadn't have known any better, he would've said that Luigi was sick as well.

However, he knew that wasn't the case, as Luigi didn't have any physical symptoms of sickness, and the younger twin would constantly reassure him he was fine, and that he was just "worrying a lot recently".

 **Cough.**

"So, Mario...your medicine..."

The younger's voice took Mario by surprise, and almost immediately as it had arrived, his train of thought vanished, supposedly flying off rails and destroyed.

"Oh! O-oh sorry, I was daydreaming again, haha..."

Mario cocked his head and grinned slightly, before lethargically swinging his legs out of bed and unsteadily standing. Carefully, the older sibling walked towards his twin before seating himself at the foot of the bed, reaching out for the translucent bottle that comfortably sat in his brother's hand. Whilst he hated the taste of the medicine, and every time he took the vile liquid his sore and inflamed throat screamed in protest, Mario knew that eventually, the drug would work its magic and he would be as good as new again.

Or at least he hoped.

Whatever the case, the elder sibling decided to take the medicine without too much of a fuss, if only for Luigi's sake; he wouldn't want to cause un-needed stress and anxiety on the already stretched man.

 _It won't be for much longer._

The kingdom's hero routinely reassured himself with that thought, even if his body was in disagreement with his mind.

A few seconds passed, the injured twin still reaching towards his brother for the medicine, arm shaking slightly due to the exertion on his muscles. Luigi was lost in his own thoughts however, and didn't seem to notice his brother reaching for his medication. The man in green gripped the bottle with such force as he contemplated that it was surprising that the cap hadn't flown off from the pressure, his lowered gaze so intense that he could've drilled deep down into the floor.

 _What I'm doing...is it right? Mario thinks he'll get better but..._

A shaky breath.

 _He...He won't. Not if he keeps taking this._

"Luigi? Are you okay? Y-you're shaking a lot, are you sure you're not ill either? If you are then I'm taking you to the doctor, I can handle a few hours out of the house-"

Luigi raised his eyes to an expression of unbridled concern and worry etched onto his brother's tired and weary face. The younger twin felt slightly guilty for causing such worry; however, he couldn't deny that he felt a small wave of satisfaction upon seeing his brother's attention fixed solely on him.

 _You're a_ _ **selfish**_ _man, Luigi._

"I...I'm fine. I just..."

His eyes bore into the medicine bottle again.

"Maybe we should...maybe we should...we should..."

Luigi felt a hand lightly grasp his shoulder, and was met with his brother standing in front of him, albeit weakly and with a wobble, having moved from his previous perch on the edge of his bed. His eyes were bloodshot, yet unlike before, they were lit up with a bright glint of determination and concern, brows furrowed and mouth tightened into a firm frown. His breaths were laboured and shallow, presumably from his swollen throat, and no matter how much his older twin would try to hide it, Luigi _had_ heard the hoarse coughs that would suddenly start as soon as he left the room.

"You've been acting kinda weird recently, fratello. Please. _Please_ just talk to me. I know I-I'm not in the best state either but...you shouldn't be ignoring your own health...f-for mine."

Luigi heard his brother speak, yet none of his words seemed to process; he may as well have been speaking a completely foreign language for how much sense it made to the younger twin. His attention was too focused on the offending bright orange bottle resting in his hand, almost mocking him with its very existence. The younger knew that this 'medicine' wasn't doing his brother any good, and it was unlikely to do anything positive anytime soon. Yet, for some reason, he could never stop himself from providing the daily dose to his brother.

 _You're selfish. Let him be healthy. Stop taking advantage of his allergy to this specific drug to control his life as well as yours._

An uneasy sigh escaped the conflicted man's lips, and he nearly found some resolve from that thought; yet, as soon as he did, memories of seeing his brother bloodied and bruised, grovelling at the Koopa King's feet, assailed him.

 _I'm doing this for him. It's the best for him. He's reckless, headstrong; he'll end up dying if I...if I don't keep him near._

 _I know what's best-_

Suddenly, a light sting of pain on his cheek dragged the man out of the conflicted confines of his mind, and the brother in green noted Mario's raised palm.

"Stop it! Luigi, you're freaking me out. I'm getting you a doctor, this can't go on-"

"N-NO! No...no I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm-!"

Luigi grabbed the older man's wrist with more force than he realised, lowering it and shaking it frantically as he spoke. Luigi had obviously taken his sibling off guard, as he definitely heard a surprised yelp escape from the other.

He didn't understand why, yet again...he felt satisfied.

 _When he's with me, he's safe. He's...safe._

He heard his brother shouting at him, yet his shouts sounded weak and frail, wavering in the air. Luigi slowly placed a finger against his brother's lips, smiling discreetly and glancing down towards his feet.

"I'm okay, fratello. _Zitto._ I don't need to see a doctor, I'm just really worried about you and I want the best for you. Sometimes it's hard for me to decide what to do, and I sort of...zone out. That's it."

The two brothers stood in silence, with Mario's raspy breaths being the only sound present in the stifling air. Luigi raised his eyes to face his twin again, taking in his brother's expression. Wide, surprised eyes stared him back, blinking rapidly, and Luigi grimaced upon seeing the tiniest hint of fear in those clear blues.

"O-o...okay. Sure. That's...that's fine."

Mario tugged his wrist away forcefully, holding it against his chest with his other hand and stepping back away from his sibling. The latter noticing light purple bruises where he had gripped his brother's hand, yet, to his own surprise and shock, he didn't feel any guilt or remorse.

 _What's wrong with me right now? Maybe I'm just annoyed that he shouted..._

 _Hopefully._

"Mario, fratello, are you...are you okay bro? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I've just been stressed recently and..."

The man in green gently reached for his brother's hand, eyes slightly tearing up once again. He frowned when his brother didn't respond, and he felt his face flush up, with tears threatening to pool and drip down the contours of his face.

"Mario...please, let me look at it, I..."

His brother shook his head solemnly, stepping back again. His eyes were lowered, and he slowly lowered his arms to his sides, facial expression conveying both shock and betrayal.

They didn't speak to each other again that night.

* * *

It had been several weeks since Mario had given up on his medicine, and already the recovering man was surprisingly feeling positive effects. He had made the decision on a whim; a last resort to solving his inflammation problem that kept him from the realm of sleep, the inflammation that kept him from talking and breathing effectively. He had originally expected his symptoms to probably get worse, yet he had no other apparent choice; he was still too unwell to venture too far from the safety of his home to find alternative drugs, and Luigi...

Luigi wasn't really speaking to him anymore.

The two would exchange pleasantries, with the younger brother still caring for his sibling, yet they would no longer laugh together, they would no longer reminisce about previous adventures and memories. Of course, this hadn't been the only time the two had fallen out; Mario could remember a particularly bad dispute shortly after their arrival to the kingdom with Luigi practically begging for the two of them to go home, for everything to be 'normal' again. The older twin had disagreed, claiming that he had felt a certain 'kinship' to the kingdom when they arrived, as if they were returning home after many years. The two had later learned that to be true, but even after this revelation, Luigi would still pine for his life 'back at home'.

* * *

" _ **Mario, it's safer there! No killer turtles, no walking mushroom things, no...fire breathing dragons and no...no pretty princesses! Please, let's just leave and go home! I want to go home, and I'm taking you too!"**_

" _ **Luigi, this IS our home, we just never realised it. Also, those guys aren't dangerous; they're pieces of cake! I bet you, I bet you I'll never fall to any of them. It's pretty impossible since they're so pathetic."**_

* * *

Mario grimaced upon remembering his attitude those years ago. If he felt he was cocky in his recent misadventure with the Koopa King, then five years ago he must've been intolerable. Of course, he could blame the adrenaline rush from rescuing the princess for his words at the time, but he knew that if he did that, he would be lying to himself.

 _Maybe it's my attitude that splits us apart._

Whatever the case, the older brother knew that, for now, he had to focus on his recovery. He wasn't taking the medicine anymore, and soon after he stopped, he had started to feel a lot better. His throat started to clear, he wouldn't have the horrible coughing fits, and whilst he was still a little unsteady on his feet and his legs ached like no tomorrow, the man felt as though he had gained his independence once more. He had started doing his own household chores without help, cleaning the kitchen worktops and appliances, as well as sweeping the floor whilst Luigi watched him in an absent minded fashion. Occasionally the recovering brother would stumble, and have to rest his body weight against a wall or a particular piece of furniture; he had noted that every time this happened, his sibling would tense up and start to dash towards him, only to stop himself and lock his hands together, contorting them into strange shapes in frustration, before sighing heavily and standing with a relaxed posture once again. At first, this bizarre chain of behaviours would startle Mario, almost causing him to ask if his twin was alright.

...Almost.

But he stopped himself, for whatever reason. Maybe it was the way that he could feel his brother's eyes glare at him when he ignored his help, or maybe it was the persistent blotchy bruise that remained on his wrist and acted as a constant reminder of how strong his brother could be.

Perhaps it was his own stubbornness and bitterness, or his crankiness over his current physical state. In all honesty, Mario suspected it was the latter.

 _Luigi hasn't really done anything wrong; he's just concerned. It's me that's the problem._

The man leaned forwards on the handle of the sweeping broom he had been using, dropping his eyes to the now slightly cleaner floor and staring nonchalantly at a pile of swept fluff and dirt. He had found it funny; any other time, the older sibling would've begrudgingly done the housework, claiming he could be "doing something more useful", yet, here he was, all too eager to do even the simplest of tasks.

 _Maybe, underneath my bitterness, I want to pay Luigi back. He has done a lot._

Standing upright once more, the Kingdom Hero went back to the mundane house chore, sweeping the dirt diligently into a dustpan and disposing of it accordingly, sneezing a couple of times due to offending particles of dust that irritated his already inflamed nostrils. He found himself rubbing his eyes every now and then, and eventually decided that he would move onto another chore, if only to escape the dusty terrors.

 _It's been ages since we sorted out the shed. Maybe I should do that, work on the house a little more..._

With his plan of action sorted, the man slowly returned the cleaning equipment to the cupboard, before throwing on a tatty old fleece jacket and gloves. Slipping his feet into a pair of sturdy black work boots in the hallway, the older twin gazed quietly out of a nearby window at the outside world. Webs of frost had begun to creep into the corners of the panes, glinting softly in the frosty sunlight.

 _It's getting cold out around now._

Mario was about to find his brother and let him know what he was up to, however, the man in red couldn't seem to get over his mental block of stubbornness to talk to his younger sibling. Instead, he opted to quietly open the front door, with the keys to both the shed and the door in his pocket, and slipped outside, immediately starting to shiver upon the contact between the damp autumn air and his exposed skin. Shaking his head, the man ignored his body's protests and headed towards a rickety old wooden-panel shed, situated at the bottom of the brothers' small, yet humble garden. The garden itself was well-maintained; Luigi had always had a particular interest in gardening, and would often care for the plants and greenery whilst waiting for his brother to return from his latest escapade. Flower beds adorned the edges of the open space, with varying flowers of differing origins calling the garden home. Mario could recognise a few varieties; the famous _Fire Flower_ and its colder counterpart, the _Ice Flower,_ the more recently discovered _Rocket Flower_ (which Mario had a few...not so great memories surrounding) and even a few _Smiley Flowers_ ; then, there were other varieties that Mario couldn't recognise from his own travels, including a strange, ghostly-like vermilion flower that towered over the other plants. Whilst Mario was happy his brother had a hobby which he clearly enjoyed, he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that settled when he realised how much time had been invested in the gardens. Luigi only ever planted new plants when his brother was away and...well, there were quite a lot of plants.

 _I leave him a lot..._

Turning his head away from the flowers and his own guilt, the older sibling continued on towards the neglected old shed, its paintwork tired and small side window marred with grime and long vacated cobwebs. Fishing the shed's key from his jacket pocket, Mario slowly inserted the thin key into the stiff lock, having to ram the door to fully insert the key into the unforgiving lock mechanism. Gaining as much strength as he could muster, Mario gritted his teeth as he forced the key round in a circular motion, thanking his lucky stars that he had worn tough, protective gloves.

After a particularly trying ordeal, the door finally gave way, swinging open to reveal a surprisingly tidy shed.

 _W-What...? But we haven't used this place in years, did Luigi clean it?_

The older twin's questions were answered upon seeing various gardening supplies and flower seed packets lined up neatly on the walls of the shed, next to a pair of specialist gloves and boots, and an old hoe. Smiling faintly, the man chuckled to himself.

 _He's got it all sorted after all._

He was about to leave when something...out of place caught his eye. It was a unimpressive, seemingly empty hessian sack, bundled over in the corner just behind some garden weed-killer. Normally this wouldn't seem conspicuous at all, if it weren't for the crumpled corner of a bright pink envelope inching its way out of the confines of the sack, trying to escape the darkness.

 _I recognise that envelope...no one else sends letters like that around here..._

Now that Mario thought about it...he hadn't heard from Princess Peach since she last visited, about a month ago. He had assumed she was busy with royal duties and foreign business during the longest period of peace in the kingdom for a long time, and he supposed that asking Luigi to say hello to her for him when the younger man went out food shopping was good enough. Of course, when he came home Luigi said he couldn't see her as she was in meetings with diplomats, yet that was his word against the magenta envelope presently lying in front of his eyes.

 _Why would her letters be here?_

Curious, and slightly scared, the man carefully reached for the sack, peering inside to investigate its contents. There weren't many letters, about four to be exact, yet they were all addressed to him, their envelopes unopened and ignored; they were four letters that had never gotten to see the light of day. Frowning, Mario wasted no time in ripping the letters open, eyes hungrily scouring their contents.

The first two letters were disappointingly generic, mostly detailing what the princess' affairs were like and how kingdom meetings were going, as well as a few jokes at the expense of other kingdoms and their strange mannerisms. Peach would constantly inquire about the hero's health in her first two letters, wishing him "a safe and relaxed recovery" and "all the best", as well as asking him to visit her as soon as he was well enough, as there was a matter she wished to discuss in person.

Whilst Mario always appreciated the letters Peach sent him (anything from her seemed like a gift to him), he had to admit that these letters were rather lacking in substance, and he wondered if perhaps the royal was bored enough to just keep writing all day.

He was about to pack the other letters away and read them later, when something about the last two letters caught his attention. He hadn't noticed it before, but the envelopes were slightly torn, as if they'd been opened already and hastily sealed again. Confused, the man slowly picked up the one dated just after the second letter, removing the small length of tape that had been used to re-seal the letter. He began to read;

" _Dear Mario,_

 _I haven't heard from you in such a long time; is everything alright? Perhaps I'm being overly paranoid, but you never replied to my last two letters and I'm worried about you. I asked the local Toad Town residents if they had seen you, yet none of them had. Some said they'd seen Luigi, but apparently he wasn't speaking to anyone, just buying his weekly shopping and leaving the town without a word._

 _Please don't think me rude, but is everything alright with Luigi? He has been acting terribly strange in his demeanours and attitudes ever since the incident a while ago, and if I wasn't so busy with these talks I would've visited him as well; if there's anything I can do to help with your situation, please let me know._

 _If Luigi tries anything...strange, please let me know as soon as possible. I'll always have room for you at the castle if you need a break from him for a while, staying shut inside with the same person for a while, no matter the relation, could be daunting and difficult for anyone, and I understand that wholly._

 _Best wishes and regards,_

 _~Peach "_

Mario held the letter silently for a moment, gloved fingers rubbing against the paper, creasing it slightly as he contemplated the princess' words.

 _Luigi acting "strange"...?_

Mario knew that he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't ever come across that thought in his mind in the last few weeks, and knowing that someone else believed so too was...frightening. He had desperately tried to convince himself that everything was fine, and that it was his own tired mind that saw things in the wrong light, yet the princess' words were undeniable. They were written in neat cursive right in front of him.

 _Luigi never tried to see her like he said he did. He never even stuck around in town. He's been lying._

The older sibling couldn't help but feel hurt at that thought. He had trusted Luigi a lot, and the fact that he had lied straight to his face made Mario doubt the validity of anything he had said to him.

Turning the letter over in his hands, the man carefully slipped it back into the envelope, before picking up the last letter. Almost scared to read its contents, he stood in silence, staring intently at the post date, which dated back to five days ago.

 **Tear.**

The seemingly minuscule sound seemed amplified at that moment, as did the **creasing** and **rustling** of the letter as he carefully freed it from its envelope. Gulping, the hero began to read the contents carefully, his eyes following each written word with some degree of hesitation;

" _Dear Mario,_

 _I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I'm sorry for causing you so much pain, I'm truly sorry for what trials and tribulations I've caused my kingdom. I should've been stronger in the face of adversity, yet I'm weak. Hopeless._

 _You've done nothing but good for me, and you're one of my closest friends because of it. Yet I've never given you anything back, except perhaps a lacklustre cake or simple kiss. I'm sorry. I'm not worthy of your pain, of your injuries...I'm not worthy of you. You deserve better than me, no matter my status. I read your letter over and over again, and all those words ring true; you're right, and there's no better way for me to realise this than from the hand of my greatest confidant._

 _Please. Look after yourself. Perhaps if I had been stronger, none of this would have ever happened._

 _Best wishes and eternal thanks,_

 _Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom_

 _~ Peach"_

A few tears had splashed on the woman's signature, blurring the ink slightly, the pigment bleeding through the otherwise immaculate paper, and it looked as though the writer had stamped a royal insignia over the blotches to try and hide the fact that she had been crying. Mario stared blankly at the writing, trying his hardest himself not to tear up upon reading the self-deprecating words on the mockingly joyful pink floral stationery. Holding the letter close to his chest, the man stared solemnly at the ground for a while, trying to process all he had read.

 _Why did she..._

 _Where did she get those ideas from?_

 _She's always been so cheerful, yet..._

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. He frantically searched the letter for the line he had just read not more than a few seconds ago, yet not quite taken in, trying to reassure himself that perhaps he had misread it in his shocked state.

He hadn't.

" _I read your letter over and over again, and all those words ring true; you're right, and there's no better way for me to realise this than from the hand of my greatest confidant."_

 _ **My**_ _letter?!_

The man's breath hitched at the horrifying realisation. There was no way he had ever written a letter, no way he **could've** written a letter, at least not recently, to the princess, and he would never write such harsh language as to upset the woman he cared so much about.

He didn't want to believe it, he so desperately wanted to find another logical solution to the offending letter against his torso, yet he couldn't. There was no denying it anymore.

 _Someone has sent a letter in my name._

Sliding down against the wooden panels of the shed wall, Mario brought his knees up to his chest, propping his head up with his arm on his thigh. Furiously racking his confused brain, the older sibling tried to name a person who could've done such a thing.

 _Perhaps it was Bowser? He would want to sabotage my relationship with her._

It didn't take Mario long to debunk that theory; Bowser was never really one for silent, tactful approaches or deception. He was a king of show, making every kidnapping a spectacular showcase of his power and "wit". He would never attempt a method such as this, even if his advisors told him to. His ego was far too inflated for that.

 _Perhaps a rabid fan? Someone who is a bit too obsessed with me?_

 _..._

 _Obsessed._

Horrified, the man's mind slowly stumbled upon the one most feasible culprit, the one who had seemingly collected all of the royal letters in a sack and hidden them, the one who had never even tried to see Peach even though he said he would.

 _Luigi..._

He would've been able to replicate his writing, he would've known things that even the most learned fan wouldn't, and he would have been able to write a convincing letter in his brother's name to alienate the princess from him.

It had to have been him.

Mario felt an emptiness in his heart, as a long-standing link of trust that he had with his younger sibling seemed on the brink of **snapping**.He couldn't face his brother anymore, not whilst he had the knowledge of the younger's actions, the younger's deliberate attempts to...isolate him.

 _I have to be jumping to conclusions, there's no way he would actually...he wouldn't..._

In a bout of emotion, the distressed twin threw the letter back in the sack, his arm clumsily knocking over the hoe in the process, causing it to clatter to ground with a resounding **clang**. The older brother didn't care. For the first time in years, he curled up in on himself and cried, ducts of tears running down his reddened cheeks, dripping onto the fabric of his jacket and occasionally through his quivering lips, resulting in a salty tang in his dry mouth.

 _I'm over-reacting...there isn't...there's no solid proof that he did this...it could've been..._

 _It could've been..._

 _Someone else..._

The older twin was so wrapped up in his own emotions that he didn't notice the presence of another person until said person bundled him into their arms, rubbing his back slowly in circular motions. At this point in time, Mario didn't care who it was. Having someone with him during his vulnerable outburst felt better, and if he could just shut away his worries for just a little while, he wouldn't have minded staying in that secure embrace a little longer.

"I'm sorry Fratello...you saw something you shouldn't have."

* * *

 **A/N :** So I noticed I had a few general questions in the reviews that I'll answer quickly here;

 **Space Trooper :** Hey, thanks for the review! I'm not planning for any character death, however, there will be scenes of violence in future chapters. As for my inspiration, I never had any one game in mind but _Dream Team_ definitely helped develop that sibling dynamic that we don't see often in the main games! (Definitely good for characterisation!)

 _ **\- Orpheus-Firefly**_


	5. UPDATE (temporary chapter)

**Hi all,**

 **It's been a long time! I can't believe time has flown by so quickly!**

 **Unfortunately I've had a bit of a rough time this past year or so, hence the lack of updates for this story, however, I'm only putting this story on HIATUS.**

 **I really do want to finish this story, and I still have all my notes and ideas for the later chapters, however, as of right now I just don't have the same passion I had for writing it as I did when I started it over a year ago.**

 **But that can change!**

 **I really appreciate all the positive reviews and feedback for the story so far, and I'm so glad you're all enjoying the chapters I'd already written; I know this update may seem like a cop-out but I wanted to let you all know that, yes, I'm alive and yes, I will finish this story...eventually.**

 **That doesn't mean I haven't been writing though!**

 **I've actually been working on another multi-chapter story that I'd been meaning to write for a while. It's for the Earthbound/Mother fandom, so if that series is your cup of tea, watch this space! I'm hoping that by working on a fresh idea, I'll end up regaining that same passion I had when starting** _ **The String that Binds Us**_ **, and I'll be able to post more chapters for this story. (Going from my original notes, there will be a further 4 or 5 chapters for this fic)**

 **However, as for now and for the foreseeable future, this story will be on hiatus. How long that hiatus will be, I can't say, however I just wanted to let you all know what has been happening!**

 **Thanks again for the continued support over the years,**

 **~Orpheus-Firefly~**


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